Inspirational Article #3

http://www.boston.com/bostonglobe/editorial_opinion/oped/articles/2011/02/16/mr_sugarmans_class/


Mr. Sugarman's class by Carlo Rotella


I liked this article because it is a good story and it has to do with writing and education--even if it is in a fourth-grade class. This reporter's opinion is that you need to have the groundwork laid--a fundamental learning basis--if you're going to be successful in higher learning. Therefore, leading to "We know that we need to improve and even out the quality of elementary and secondary education in this country."
The author uses pretty much all of the tips and the way he writes, his voice, is very reader-friendly and engaging. He doesn't throw arguments in your face, but presents his perspective and simply states that we need to improve public education because those are the formative years. Another key component was that the writing and the argument revolved around his story about his experience in Mr. Sugarman's class, not the other way around. It took on a reflective, considerate tone that said, this is what I'm considering, and encourages the reader to think and consider at the same time. It's short and sweet, but remains poignant and effective. I think that it's a good example of narrative nonfiction without being pages long like a New Yorker article. The only thing I think it misses is some solutions for public education. Rotella wants the public and policymakers to stay focused on improving schools, but he doesn't offer any suggestions himself....maybe he didn't want to. Nevertheless, the fact remains that this is a good example of literary journalism that doesn't contain breaking news, important figures, or the like, but is able to give the reader a positive experience and some good reading on a subject that might not always be in the public eye all of the time yet is nonetheless vitally important--kind of like internship.